Yesterday has been a lot of much needed nothing. A laid back, slow, do-nothing sort of day needed to recover from the madness of pre-holiday chaos, packing, traveling, etc. It was also a day where I mostly spent hiding from everyone (including my own kid) and feeling generally unsociable and uncharitable thanks to a persistent headache.
However we did wander out for a walk into the village to get a feel for the place and some much needed fresh air.
Doolin is… small. It is a lot smaller than I expected while simultaneously having much better mobile internet coverage. A far cry from our last getaway in Connemara where there was almost no signal to be had anywhere.
The half of the village that we’ve seen so far contains one pub, two restaurants, and a cafe/pizzeria. We have not yet wandered down in the other direction toward the pier where I hear rumours of the existence of an actual shop. The nearest place to get groceries is a twenty minute drive.
What Doolin mostly consists of is Bed & Breakfasts, holiday homes, and sites for camping, glamping, and caravans. From a certain angle, the place almost looks like a tent village.
We wandered into the opposite direction of the supposed shop. The day was grey and overcast, with a crisp wind. Within yards of our holiday home’s back yard we were in wild and windswept territory, lined with the traditional low dry-stone walls and dotted with cows, periodic houses, and the odd farmhouse ruin.
Then in the evening, after the wee beastie’s bedtime, we sat outside enjoying the quiet until rain drove us inside and I spent some time taking photos of the changing skyline as the rain moved past us and the setting sun lit up the clouds in different ways.
It felt remote and desolate – a feeling only increased by the heavy grey sky and the rushing wind.
It’s an odd impression given that there is actually quite a lot to see in the area, but then, on the other hand, this place is right outside The Burren – a landscape sometimes described as lunar. So perhaps the feel of desolation and wilderness should not be a surprise.
At least, not as much of a surprise a the strength of the internet signal.
The Feathered Rose 